The United States said Thursday it is not concerned about South Korea's strengthening relations with China, saying greater cooperation and dialogue between Seoul and Beijing is good for the region.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye's attendance at China's military parade this week, which was shunned by Western leaders, has led to some U.S. experts and observers raising concerns that Seoul is tilting too much toward Beijing.
Asked if Washington has such concerns, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner flatly said, "No."
"I mean that's a sovereign decision for the Republic of Korea to make. Obviously, we would encourage strong relations in the region and we consider South Korea a very strong partner and ally," he said during a regular briefing, referring to Park's decision to attend the ceremony.
"Certainly, as much dialogue, as much cooperation there can be between South Korea and China on a range of issues affecting the region, I think, is for the betterment of the region," he said.
Toner also said that the U.S. considers itself to be "an Asian power" and "deeply rooted" in the region.
"We spoke of that many times, but as much there can be increased cooperation between the other countries in Asia, that's, we believe, for the betterment of the region," he said.
South Korea and China are former battlefield foes as China fought alongside North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, while the United States and 20 other allied countries fought on South Korea's side under the U.N. flag.
But Seoul and Beijing have steadily improved ties since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992. Though their ties had initially focused heavily on economic aspects, the two countries have increased dialogue and cooperation in political and security in recent years as well.
Toner said that the U.S. hopes the war anniversary would be an occasion for "reconciliation and healing."
"We honor and respect the sacrifices made by many nations, including China, 70 years ago, and we believe that all parties should take a reconciliatory approach to the end of World War II," he said.
"We certainly don't question or challenge Beijing's right or authority to host these kinds of commemorative events and we've consistently shared with our Chinese counterparts our desire to see these types of events highlight the themes of reconciliation and healing."
The Defense Department said China's parade was not completely surprising or unexpected, even though it showcased new military hardware.
"It wouldn't be the first time that new military hardware of some sort was displayed at a military parade. so I would suggest to you it's not completely surprising and not something we wouldn't have expected," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.
The spokesman said the U.S. will continue its part in promoting stability in the region.
Asked why the U.S. is not holding such a military parade, Cook said, "it's not our style."
"The U.S. military is the -- is the world's foremost military, and people shouldn't doubt that. And people know the strength of the United States, the strength of our military, and I think it's safe to say that we don't need to display it at parades necessarily for people to understand what the United States is capable of," he said. (Yonhap)
